Who is the best team in the National League?

Although there are four teams within the National League that currently boast impressive winning records, only two of those teams come from one of the toughest divisions in the majors.  While the resurgent Los Angeles Dodgers and the impressively dominant Atlanta Braves have proven to be successful in their own right, their prosperity can at least be partly attributed to them competing in a relatively easy divisions.

However, with the St. Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates it’s clear that their abundant success has to do with their unique strengths that allow them to not only win consistently but also gives them an edge against most opponents they face.  What makes these two teams success even more intriguing is that they both compete in the same division that is as competitive as you could want it.

While the Pirates are currently in first place in the NL Central, strong willed division rivals such as the Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds are only 2 and 2.5 games back from the lead respectively. Even though the Reds have an impressive pitching squad it’s not nearly as dominant as the Pirates bullpen.  On top of that, the Reds offense leaves something to be desired with an overall below average batting percentage  (.246, 19^th in MLB) and relatively average scoring capabilities (518 runs on the season, 13^th in MLB). With that in mind, it becomes easier to zero in on the best team in the National League.  With a little over a month until the regular season ends, two teams with completely different identities will be vying for the top spot in the NL.  Between the Cardinals lights out offense and the Pirates intimidating bullpen, only one teams philosophy will prove to be the most effective once the post season begins.

 Looking at Cardinals roster it become easy to see how this team manages to be one of top offensive squads in the majors.  While their slugging percentage is decent (.406, 11^th in MLB), their overall batting average (.273, 2^nd in MLB) and runs scored (585, 3^rd in MLB) is what makes the Cardinals a deep franchise that can score with anybody at anytime.  The Cardinals infielders such as Matt Carpenter (Batting average .315 and 58 RBI’s) and Allen Craig (Batting average .314 and 88 RBI’s) have proven to be instrumental in their offensive success.  However, these two stellar athletes are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to supreme batting averages.  Outfielders such as Matt Holiday (Batting average .294 and 61 RBI’s) and the always-dominant Carlos Beltran (Batting average .303 with 20 HR’ and 63 RBI’s) have always provided ample contributions that allow the Cardinals to score runs when they are needed most. The only weak link in the Cardinals balanced and methodical offense is their lack of a power hitter.  Aside from Beltran, no one on the Cardinals roster has more than 11 home runs.  Although they have proven to be effective at getting their men on the bases (.335, 3^rd in MLB), they don’t have any hitters that are strong enough to knock it out of the park on a game-to-game basis.

While the Pirates can’t emulate any of the Cardinals offensive proficiencies, they make up for it with a deadly bullpen that uses immense finesse to shut opposing teams down.  From the veteran leadership of A.J. Burnett (3.18 ERA) to their younger relievers Francisco Liriano (2.68 ERA) and Jeff Locke (2.43 ERA), the Pirates have a plethora of pitchers who can step up at any given moment to quell any offensive attacks that may come their way.  Unfortunately, the Pirates are currently without their closer Jason Grilli (2.34 ERA and 30 saves on the season) who is currently on the 15-day DL.  Despite this setback, the Pirates have still found a way to win consistently thanks to Mark Melancon (0.81 ERA and 7 saves) who has stepped up to fill the void as their closer.

Although it would easy to end this debate in a stalemate as both teams brings opposing ideals of success to the table, one team has proven that it can be both offensively and defensively effective.  Despite the fact that the Cardinals offense gets a large portion of the credit for their winning ways, their bullpen has made their presence felt as well especially in close games.  From starting pitcher Lance Lynn (3.89 ERA, 13-6 win/loss record) to their nearly unstoppable closer Edward Mujica (1.68 ERA and 31 saves), the Cardinals have a stacked bullpen that is more than capable of winning games if their offense has an off day.

In the end, while the Pirates have made it known that their pitching proficiencies are the most prestigious in the majors, the Cardinals can almost match them with a no nonsense bullpen of their own.  On top of that, the Cardinals have an offense that out matches anything the Pirates roster can do.  Even though the Pirates currently lead their division, the Cardinals have proven time and time again that they be just as deadly as a wild card contestant when it comes to the post season.  If the Cardinals can avoid making any careless mistakes in what’s left of the regular season, they could very easily make it to the World Series on their gifted offensive capabilities alone.